Massage instrument.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908,

W. H. DB CAMP.

MASSAGE INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES.

THE NORR s PETERS cm, WAsHIN Ion. D. '2.

muTnn sTaTs TaTniaT onnircn.

WILLIAM H. DE CAMP, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

MASSAGE INSTRUMENT.

Application filed June 29, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DE CAMP, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Fort \Vayne, in the county of Allen and Stateof Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in massage instruments, and the object thereof is to afford a device of its class which will be light in weight and convenient to handle, and which may be readily adjusted while in operation so as to have more or less movement, and another object is to effect what is commonly known as the Swedish movement in various degrees of action by means of simple mechanism. These objects are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus shown in cross-section; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the yoke for the gyratory member; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the cap for the lower end of the handle; and Fig. 4 is a general view showing the apparatus in connection with a motor.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and referring now to the same: 1 is the head of the instrument, and 2 is a handle in rigid connection therewith. The forward end 3 of the head is semi-spherical, and a cover 4, also semi-spherical, is secured to the semi-spherical end of the head. In the cen' ter of the cover 4 is an aperture 5 and an annular bearing 6 concentric with the aperture. A gyratory member 7, having a spherical enlargement 8, is mounted with said enlargement resting upon the bearing 6, and is held thereon by means of an annular yoke 9, the latter being mounted in a ring 10 which is secured within the cover by means of screws 11. Centrally in the spherical enlargement 8 is a pin 12, the ends of which project and extend into the recesses 13 and 14 made respectively in the yoke 9 and cover 4. Thus it will appear that the gyratory member is prevented from rotating, but is free to have gyratory motion.

The member 7 has at its inner end a cup 15 in which extends a ball 16, the latter forming a part of the actuating member 17.

The head 1 is hollow at its rear part and has a rearwardly extending sleeve 18, and in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 324,023.

said head is loosely mounted a movable cylinder 19. This cylinder has near one end an external annular groove and near its other end an internal annular groove 21. A rotatable shaft 2 is mounted in the head 1 and extends centrally through the cylinder 19, and has a longitudinal slot 23 made therein in which is mounted a sliding key 24 with an outward projection 25 at its rear end, the latter extending into the internal groove 21 of the cylinder 19, and thereby, when the cylinder is moved longitudinally upon the shaft 22, the key 24 will be actuated. Integral with the forward end of the shaft 22 is a driving head 26 which has therein a slot 27, and in said slot is pivoted the actuating member 17, the connection being made by means of a pin 28. A compression spring 29 is arranged in the head 26 and acts outwardly against the adjacent part of the member 1.7 and thereby tends to hold the ball 16 in line with the axial center of the shaft 22. The actuating member 17 has a rearward extension 30 which rests upon the bevel forward end of the key 24 and is adapted to be moved outward by said key when the latter is moved forward, in consequence of which the ball 16 is moved out of line with the axial center of the shaft 22 to an extent accordingly as the key 24 is moved.

The handle 2 is hollow and has therein a rotatable rod 31 which has at its upper end an eccentric pin 32 which extends into the external groove 20 of the cylinder 19, and the cylinder is adapted to be moved longitudinally upon the shaft 22 by the pin 32 when the rod 31 is turned. An annular recess 33 is made in the rod 31 and a screw 34 extends through the side of the handle and projects into the recess 33 so as to limit the vertical movement of the rod 31 and thereby prevent the pin 32 from becoming completely withdrawn from the groove 20.

A cap 35 is fixed at the lower end of the handle, and the outer end of .the rod 31 extends through said cap, and a pin 36 extends from the side of the rod 31 and is adapted to engage in notches 37 made in the outer face .of the cap. Pins 38 project from said cap, one at each end of the series of notches, and serve to limit the turning movement of the rod 31. The pin 36 is held in the notches 37 by the action of the spring 39, within the handle, which acts upwardly against the fixed collar 40 on the rod 31. Thus it will appear that the cylinder 19 may be moved longitudinally in the head 1 by turning the rod 31, which is accomplished by manipulating the nut 41 which is fixed upon the outer end of said rod.

The shaft 22 is rotated by means of a flexible cable 42 which is connected with the outer end of said shaft 22, and also with a motor 43 through a flexible sheath 44, the latter being .attached to the head 1 by means of a sleeve coupling 45 and to the motor by a collar 46. The cable 42 is adapted to be rotated by the motor and transmit rotary motion to the shaft 22. The motor 43 is connected with a tube 47 which is adj ustably mounted in connection with another tube 48, which telescopes into the former tube, and the tube 48 has a perforated head 49 fixed at its top by means of which it is suspended from the ceiling 50 by connection with a hook 51. Suitable conductors 52 extend respectively upon the opposite sides of the head 49 and are adapted to form electrical connections with the respective tongues 53 which depend from a suitable insulator 54. The conductors 52 have each a connection, by any suitable conducting means, with the motor 43. From the side of the tube 47 is a fixed hook 55 which serves as a rest for the instrument when not in use.

In the operation of this invention, a massage cup 56 is attached to the gyratory member by means of the stem 57 of the former, and the shaft 22 is then set in rapid rotary motion, by means of the motor and cable 42. The rod 31 is then turned so that the cylinder 19 and key 24 in connection therewith will be moved forward until the ball 16 is moved out of line with the axial center of the shaft 22 sufficiently to give the gyratory member the desired extent of movement. The cup 56 will then have a movement correspondingly with the gyratory member as an integral part thereof, and while thus in motion is applied to the subject in the usual manner.

For the convenience of the operator, the tube 47 is inade vertically adjustable upon the pendent tube 48, the former having a long vertical slot 58 with occasional notches 59 along one side thereof, and the former tube has a projecting pin 60 at its lower end which is adapted to fit in one or the other of said notches and thereby hold the motor at the desired height.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a massage instrument, a head having therein a rotatable shaft; an actuating member in pivotal connection with the shaft and having a ball in fixed relation therewith and which normally ranges in line with the axial center of the shaft; a gyratory member in sup orted relation with the head and in line wit the axial center of said shaft and having at its inner end a cup which engages with said ball to be actuated thereby; a cylinder loosely mounted upon the shaft and ranging within the head; a sliding key having connection with the cylinder and actuating relation with the actuating member adapted to tilt the latter; and means for adjusting said cylinder.

2. In a massage instrument, a head having a hollow forward end; a cover fitting the hol low end of the head; a rotatable shaft mounted in the head; a tilting actuating member in pivotal connection with the rotatable shaft; a gyratory member mounted in said cover and having connection with the actuating member to be driven thereby; and means in connection with the shaft to tilt the actuating member.

3. In a massage instrument, a rotatable shaft; a gyratory member mounted with its axial center normally in line with that of the shaft, the said member having a socket at its inner end; an actuating member pivotally connected with the shaft and having a ball normally held in line with the axis there of and which extends into the socket of the gyratory member; and means to press said actuating member to move the ball out of line with the axis of the shaft.

4. In a massage instrument, a head having in connection therewith a gyratory member and tilting actuating member therefor; a movable cylinder in the head having means in connection therewith to tilt the actuating member; and an adjusting rod having an eccentric pin thereon which engages the cylinder and is adapted to adjust the latter when the rod is turned, and having also means to hold the rod in adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. DE CAMP.

Witnesses:

MATHILDA IVIETTLER, W. G. BURNS. 

